The old Daoist's appearance caused the surrounding Daoist disciples to frown.
"Why did this old fool show up?"
"Wasn't he locked in the dungeon?"
"Heh, he must have escaped from the temple. Last time, he disagreed with our undercover plan and wanted to tell Sun Qinglu the truth. How laughable."
Some among them already harbored murderous intent!
This was because there were many things that the pawn Sun Qinglu could not be privy to.
Especially the woman in red, who suddenly raised her hand and waved. A horsetail whisk appeared in mid-air, carrying immense power, and struck the old Daoist squarely on the back!
With a bang, a golden pattern shaped like a Bagua appeared on the old Daoist's back.
That was his only artifact, a Bagua chest amulet!
As the amulet shattered, the other Daoists hesitated and then attacked as one.
The old Daoist stumbled, spewing a mouthful of blood onto the ground.
"That's enough!" a white-robed Daoist couldn't bear to watch and waved his hand. "Let him go."
Sun Qinglu stood there dumbfounded. He never imagined that these Daoists, whom he always called seniors and masters, would suddenly attack the old Daoist!
His eyes were splitting with rage, but he was powerless. He picked up the staggering old Daoist, grief overwhelming him, and cried out.
"Good child, don't, don't cry. I am a sinner, and it is right for me to die here."
What, what did this mean?
Sun Qinglu sobbed, "You are my esteemed master, my benefactor who raised me. I have always treated you like a father. Why, why do these scoundrels want to kill you?"
The old Daoist suddenly grabbed his collar. "Don't say it, whatever you do, don't say these things. Child, I, I came to save you."
Sun Qinglu wiped away his tears, his voice choked with sobs, still filled with questions. "Master, weren't you recuperating at home? Why did you come to Chaoge? Why did you suffer for me?"
This old Daoist's status was not high; in fact, he was merely the guest host of Qingniu Temple.
A "guest host" was responsible for receiving visiting devotees, performing the most humble tasks, and sometimes even begging for incense donations with a subservient attitude.
The old Daoist was of the most inconspicuous kind.
Below the "Abbot" and "Deacons" of Qingniu Temple, there were dozens of supervising Daoist priests, but only this old guest host was most respected by Sun Qinglu.
This was because Sun Qinglu was an orphan, picked up from the roadside by the old Daoist and raised by him.
Furthermore, the old Daoist had taught him Daoist classics since childhood and spared no effort to gather the Three Thousand Daoist Canons for him.
Their relationship was not just master and disciple, but akin to father and son.
However, the old Daoist had retired from the temple a long time ago and returned to his hometown to recuperate. Sun Qinglu had even hired a few devotees to support his master. He never expected to see the elder in Chaoge today, only to be met with such a scene of parting in death.
The old Daoist's lips trembled. "I, I have actually been at the temple all along, never leaving. I've been watching you grow to this day! You, you don't understand. All of this is an act, put on for you. It's all to make you lose all your attachments and, and sell your life to us."
Sun Qinglu's head buzzed.
He vaguely sensed a massive conspiracy unfolding around him.
"Master, what in the world is going on? I was ordered to enter Chaoge Academy with the objective of going undercover into the demon forces. But they never said anything about you being involved!"
The old Daoist hesitated. He had a colossal secret he wanted to tell his beloved disciple, but!
If Sun Qinglu were to learn that secret, he would inevitably become a target of pursuit by all Daoist sects, leaving him with no hope of survival.
At this moment, the crowd parted, and a middle-aged Daoist wearing a pure Yang robe, holding a peach wood sword, with three long strands of beard fluttering, walked out.
He wore an opulent Daoist robe, exquisite and spotless, but his voice was ancient. "Qinglu, haven't you always wanted to take me as your master?"
Ah!
It was the Abbot of Qingniu Temple, Yang Qingfeng, who had undergone the baptism of the Daoist Three Altars Ceremony. He inherited the bloodline of the Daoist Heavenly Master and was known for being the foremost in Qingniu Temple's sword techniques, Daoist arts, and prestige.
This was also an idol Sun Qinglu once revered.
Yang Qingfeng smiled gracefully. "I gave you your name, using the 'Qing' generation, which was originally the seniority of my disciples. How about it, are you unwilling to take me as your master?"
"No, it's not that. But I already have a master." Sun Qinglu, holding the old Daoist, slowly retreated.
He was an intelligent person by nature and now sensed the killing intent.
The killing intent came from all directions, and even more so from the outwardly pious Yang Qingfeng.
The woman in red, along with a group of Daoists, followed Yang Qingfeng. Each of them held a wooden sword, and the Daoist arts flickered, with lightning and talismans whirling.
Yang Qingfeng continued to smile. "Sun Qinglu, don't take the wrong path. If you kill your master now, we will accept you. Then, we can work together to achieve the great plan of the Daoist sect and reach the realm of heavenly beings. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Sun Qinglu's body straightened slowly. "Enough, I'm not a three-year-old child. Just tell me the truth. Including my undercover mission, the demons in Chaoge, you've been orchestrating all of this behind the scenes, haven't you?"
Yang Qingfeng glanced around. Sun Qinglu was alone here.
Moreover, this brat had only studied Daoist scriptures since he was young and had only learned a superficial amount of Daoist martial arts.
From any angle, he was doomed today.
Thus, Yang Qingfeng stroked his beard and smiled relaxedly. "Everything began many years ago, with the appearance of that golden carp. From that day on, we reached an agreement with the demon race."
Sun Qinglu's eyes widened. "You? Who do you mean by 'you'? Is it Qingniu Temple?"
Yang Qingfeng and his group burst into laughter. "Qingniu Temple? It's far more than just one temple. All ten grand monasteries under the leadership of the Great Heavenly Master have participated in this grand plan."
Not only that, Yang Qingfeng calmly revealed another great secret. "Even Pure Mercy Temple, which represents the Buddhist Vajra, is our companion. After all, without the cooperation of the Buddhist sect, the restriction on Lingmeng Mountain could not have been opened."
Sun Qinglu instantly understood so much.
The restriction on Lingmeng Mountain was originally the last line of defense for both the Daoist and Buddhist sects. Why was it suddenly opened, allowing the demons to enter Chaoge City?
And now it had to be guarded by human special forces. It turned out that the entire affair was a conspiracy between the Daoist and Buddhist sects.
"The powers involved in this are beyond your imagination," Yang Qingfeng's voice gradually deepened. "So, I'm very sorry, but you and this old man must die here today!"
Sun Qinglu closed his eyes.
He regretted not studying Daoist martial arts properly, instead focusing on useless Daoist scriptures.
At this moment, he still had a few questions unanswered.
What was that golden carp?
Why could it allow all Daoist, Buddhist, and demon races to cooperate?
What exactly were the Daoist, Buddhist, and demon races trying to achieve?
But all of this was over.
Yang Qingfeng had already issued the order for elimination.
Just as the killing intent surged and Sun Qinglu closed his eyes, awaiting death, a familiar chuckle echoed. "Yes, I'm very sorry, but all of you present here must die today!"
Ah!
Sun Qinglu couldn't believe it. It was him again?
He appeared once more!